Monday, September 27

When Tara and I started to get serious about her diet and the carbohydrate requirements associated with AIP, we realized that Tara was skipping the most important meal of the day - breakfast. Of course, eating breakfast is important for everyone, but it's doubly important for those living with AIP. People with AIP should eat regularly and not fast, so eating breakfast (break fast) is crucial. Well, in effect, Tara was fasting for 12+ hours in between dinner and her next meal. The problem, though, is that she's one of those people who gets nauseous if they eat too soon after waking. So we had to find portable breakfast items that she wanted to eat while driving to work. Initially, we tried rice cakes, but we had to nix those as soon as she got her braces. We had some success with a variety of snack bars (Kashi was pretty popular)...until we started eliminating foods that contraindicate AIP.

Enter the company Enjoy Life. Their mission is "to make great-tasting allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods that nearly everyone can eat freely without worry." (source) All of their foods are free of the Big 8 allergens; they are also made without casein, potato, sesame, and sulfites (big bonus for folks with AIP). Check out their website to see all the allergen friendly goodies they have. I can't wait to try their trail mixes. Also, I've purchased and tasted their soy freechocolate chips (tastes just like the "real" stuff) but I have yet to use them in baking to see how they hold up. These are the only chocolate products I have seen that do not have soy!

I first found these all the way on the bottom shelf at Whole Foods after desperately searching every single breakfast bar variety in the section. I have since seen the Cocoa loco variety at both Publix and Walmart. In addition to the Very Berry and Cocoa Loco flavors, they also have Caramel Apple and Sunbutter crunch. So far, we've only tried the Very Berry. Tara thinks they are a rather bland and dry, especially when compared to regular breakfast bars. I'll agree that they're a little dry, but I rarely eat breakfast bars and I find these to be plenty sweet. Plus, I enjoy the crunch of the rice flakes. I probably won't buy them regularly, but that's because I really have no need to - I eat cereal or oatmeal every morning. If my needs suddenly changed, I would definitely buy these, though!

Do y'all have any recommendations for breakfast-y type foods that are AIP-friendly?

Disclaimer: While I am passionate about learning how to eat right for AIP, I am NOT a licensed medical professional NOR am I a Registered Dietitian. This site is NOT meant to be used in place of medical advice. Check with a doctor or RD before making any dietary changes.